Hoisting maohineet



(No Model.) I r 3 Sheets-Sheeti.

A. J. SHAW.-

' HOIS'I'ING MACHINERY.

No. 505,068. Patented Sept. 12,, 1893.

, ALTON J. .s/m'w,

(No Model.) I a Sheets--She et" 2. A, J. SHAW. v

".HOISTING MACHINERY.

LNo. 50 5, O6.8. Patented se .,12, 1893.

'3 Sheets-Sheet 3..

(No Mnidel.) A. J. SHAW.

' HOVISTING MACHINERY.

,068; Pate'nted Sept. 12, 1893..

Award-or,

ALTO/v SHAW,

V NE-la inother matters.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALTON J. SHAW, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE SHAW ELECTRIC CRANE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HOISTING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,068, dated September 12, 1893.. Application filed March 6, 1898- Serial No. 464,722- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALTON J. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muske gon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoisting Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cranes or hoisting machinery, and has reference more particularly to apparatus for handling the ladles of Bessemer steel plants, though susceptible of general application.

The invention consists in a screw lifting or hoisting device, and more especially in certain peculiar features of construction Whereby I am enabled to get great ease and freedom of action, while maintaining perfect control of the load, as well in lowering as in raising the same.

In the annexed drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus as arranged for use in connection with steel converters; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the same, partly in section; Figs. 3 and 4., detail views showing certain parts on a larger scale than in Figs. 1 and 2; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7, views illustrating a construction. which enablesthe screws to maintain their vertical position even though the trolley or other support be tipped more or less out of horizontal position, and which also, by allowing the screws to swing freely through a small angle in any direction, re: lieves them from bending strains due to any accidental side pull; Fig. 8, a sectional view illustrating the combination of the rolling and sliding friction device and the universal joint, in one structure.

Hoisting machinery for this and analogous purposes is now commonly made in the form of a traveling bridge crane, and I have illustrated my invention as applied to the trolley of such a crane, and have selected the electric crane as the preferred form. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention has to do only with the hoisting mechanism per se, and is wholly independent of It may be employed with fixed or traveling bridge cranes, jib cranes, or used in any other desired connection. So too, the

kind of motor employed is entirely a matter which E is the bridge.

of option, though I indicate and prefer to employ an electric motor for the hoist, and other electric motors for effecting travel of the bridge and trolley if these latter be employed.

Referring now to the drawings, A indicates a-suitable support for the hoisting mechanism, represented in the present instance as the trolley of a traveling bridge crane, of The bridge and the trolley are represented as supplied with suitable motors for their propulsion.

Depending from the framework of the trolley or support A, in the construction illustrated, are two tubes, C, C, within each of which is arranged a second tube D. The tubes C, C, are incidental, not essential, being provided simply for dust guards. The crane would operate equally well without them, except that it would probably not be so durable. Each tube D carries at a suitable point in its length a heavy nut E,which may be made integral with or secured in said tube in any convenient manner. The lower ends of the tubes D are filled or made solid, and the two are connected by a cross bar E, which tends to maintain them in proper relation, and to prevent turning or twisting of either.

F, F indicate two substantial screws, each extending through one of the nuts E, said screws serving, when turned, to raise orlower the tubes D. Each screw F carries at its upper end a wheel G preferably a gear wheel, which is made quite heavy to give adequate strength, and is firmly secured to or connected with the screw the wheel forming a step for and serving to sustain the weight of the screw, and whatever load may be carried thereby. The lower face of each Wheel G is a plain face, and bears upon the like upper face of a disk H. The lower-face of each disk H is beveled, and rests upon a series of preferably conical or tapering rollers I, which in turn rest upon a beveled bearing plate or disk J mounted upon the frame or support A.

The disks H are each furnished with ratchet teeth a, which, when the screws are turned in the direction to elevate a load, ride beneath and lift a dog or pawl b, but which are ongaged by said dog or pawl when the screws turn in the opposite direction. By this arrangement the gear wheels are caused to turn with the disk I-I upon the rollers I when a load is being lifted, and the power required to turn the screws is accordingly greatly reduced; but when the load is being lowered, said disks are held stationary, and the gear wheels rotate upon and independently of said disks, and consequently subject to the friction between them. This is a feature of considerable importance, since it tends to prevent the too rapid lowering of the load.

In practice I prefer to employ a reversible electric motor K to operate the screws, and with such a motor the necessity of guarding against the too sudden descent of the load becomes imperative. Hence the friction device just described is peculiarly important in such connection.

The antifriction rollers may be omitted, in which case there will be no need for the separate friction disk or the locking dogs, the gear wheel resting directly upon the bed. or support as in Fig. 5; but the rollers enable me to use screws of quicker pitch with given power than would otherwise be practicable, since with them the frictional loss due to step friction will be nearly eliminated, thus increasing greatly the efficiency of the machine. l-Ience their use is advisable.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, motion is transmitted from the motor shaft to the gear wheels G through bevel pinions L, but any suitable intermediate gearing or connection may obviously be employed.

The load is suspended in any suitable way from the lower ends of the tubes D,the drawing representing aladle suspended therefrom by bars or hangers M.

The tubes 0, D, may be made to fit accurately together, packing glands being provided if need be, to insure a sufficiently close joint to retain the oil with which the lower one is filled, and which, being partially displaced by the screws as the tubes D rise, finds its way between the threads of the screws and nuts, or through special openings 0 to a point above the nuts E. In practice, however, I prefer to use the outer tubes merely as guards to exclude the dust and to protect the screws, an oil reservoir being afforded by an extension of tubes D above the nuts E, as shown in Figs. 3, and 5. The apparatus would be perfectly operative without the outer tubes 0.

The openings 0 may be entirely unobstructed, or, as is preferred, they may each be provided with an upwardly opening valve so that the oil may pass upward through them but be forced to descend through the threads of the screw and nut. The oil thus confined, keeps the screws, nuts, and tubes constantly and perfectly lubricated, and renders attention from the operator unnecessary except at very long intervals.

It is obvious that a single screw,--or more than two screws may be employed, each with its proper tube or tubes and attendant parts,

a suitable means being provided to prevent rotation of the movable tube. So too, instead of conical antifriction rollers, spheres may be used, in which case the lower face of the friction disk and the upper face of the bearing beneath the rollers should be grooved to form a seat for and to retain the rollers. The longer bearing afforded by the conical rollers, however, renders their use advisable, instead of spheres.

For general use it will be found expedient so to construct and arrange the parts that the screws may always assume and maintain a true vertical position, as otherwise there will be a tendency to cramp and bind, and the parts will be subject to a dangerous strain. I therefore ordinarily adopt the construction illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and '7, whether the antifriction rollers be employed or omitted.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the head or upper end at of screw F is formed with a bearing surface 6, of spherical form, having a center coincident with the axis of the screw. This bearing surface 6 rests in a seat of like form,

in the upper face of the wheel G, and the screw F is consequently free to swing toa true vertical position, regardless of any lack of horizontality in the wheel itself.

. As shown'in Figs. 5and 6, the head dot the screw is formed with two radial arms f, whose axes are in the horizontal plane of the center of the spherical bearing surface 01, each of which arms extends into a vertical space between two lugs g, g, rising from the wheel G. The arms f are cylindrical in form, and are advisably furnished with rectangular bearing blocks h, to fit accurately between the lugs g, g, as shown in Fig. 7.

To maintain the wheel G in proper position, it is formed with a quite large central opening into which extends an annular collar 2, rising from the main frame or support A, or from disk H when such disk is employed. Space is left on all sides of the screw F sufficient to permit the necessary swinging movement, and the upper tube C will either be made sufficiently large to allow such movement to take place freely, or will itself be made free to swing or move. This may be conveniently accomplished in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 5, that is to say, by forming a flange upon the upper end of tube 0, and sustaining the same by a collar 0' having an opening of sufficient diameter to permit the requisite play or movement. By providing a second collar j, outside the collar 2', I produce an oil receptacle in which the bearing face of wheel G runs, so-that it is always well lubricated.

In Fig. 8 I have shown the antifriction rollers, friction disk, locking dog, and universal joint, all combined in one structure, which is the ordinary or preferred construction. It is apparent that a gimbal. joint or any other common form of universal joint or coupling may be used between the screw and gear wheel in lieu of that shown; that the dog I) IIO may be carried by the wheel and-drop into a fixed ratchet, and that in other respects the details may be varied.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In ahoisting apparatus, the combination of a main frame or support, a screw suspended therefrom, a tube closed at its lower end and provided with an internal nut to receive and fit the screw, means for rotating the screw, and a load-carrying device suspended from the tube.

2. In a hoisting apparatus, the combination of a main frame or support, a screw carried thereby and provided at its upper end with a wheel, a motor connected with and serving to rotate the wheel, a tube closed at its lower end to contain oil and provided at a point below its upper end with an internal nut to receive the screw, and a load carrying device carried by thetube; whereby the oilis caused to pass from below the nut into the space above the same as the tube rises.

3. In ahoistingapparatus, the combination of a main frame or support, a rotatable screw carried thereby and provided at its upper end with means for rotating same, a tube closed at its lower end to contain oil and provided at a point below its upper end with an internal nut to receive the screw, and a load carrying device connected with the tube; whereby the oil, being displaced bythe screw as the tube rises, is caused to pass from below the nut into the space above same.

4.. In ahoisting device, the combination of a main frame or support, a lifting-screw, and a step for supporting and turning the screw, the step and screw being connected by a universal joint substantially as described and shown, whereby the screw may operate at an angle with the axis of thestep without being thereby subjected to a bending strain other than that caused by the friction of the joint.

5. In a hoisting apparatus, the combination of a hoisting screw, a Wheel for supporting and rotating said screw, a friction disk forming a bearing for said wheel; a dog or pawl adapted to hold the disk against backward rotation though permitting forward rotation thereof; and antifriction rollers placed between the friction disk and the frame or support of the hoisting apparatus; whereby a rolling friction is obtained when the screw is elevating a load, and a sliding or rubbing friction is produced when lowering the same.

' 6. The herein described hoisting apparatus, comprising a frame or support A; tubes D provided with nuts E screws F provided with wheels G; friction disks H beneath said wheels; locking dogs a for holding the friction disks against backward rotation; and antifriction rollers I placed between the friction disks and the main frame or support, said parts being combined and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

7. In a hoisting apparatus, the combination of a main frame or support; tubes D, provided with nuts E; screws F provided with gear wheels G; friction disks H beneath said wheels; locking dogs a for holding said disks against backward rotation; antifriction rollers I between the friction disks and the main frame or support; an electric motor K for rotating the screws; and pinions L for transmitting motion from the motor to the gear wheels G.

8. In a hoisting apparatus, the combination of amain frame or support,a gear Wheel sustained thereby and provided with a spherical seat, and a lifting screw having a spherical head resting in said seat and interlocking with the gear wheel.

9. In a hoisting apparatus, the combination of a main frame or support A; a wheel G sustained thereby and provided with a spherical seat and with lugs g; and a lifting screw F having a spherical head at seated in said wheel, and a radial arm f engaging with the lugs g.

10. In combination with a support having annular collar 2', gear wheel G encircling said collar and provided with a spherical seat, and lifting screw F, having spherical head (it seated in the wheel G and interlocking therewith,-all substantially as described and shown.

11. In combination with a main support and 5 with a lifting screw carried thereby, a tube provided with an internal nut to receive the screw, and a second tube encircling the first and serving to protect the exposed portion of the screw.

12. In a hoistingapparatus, the combination of a main frame or support, a screw carried thereby, and a tube encircling the screw and provided with an internal nut, the tube being closed at its lower end to form an oil chamber,and the nut being provided with a vertical passage for the free escape of surplus oil from one to the other side of the nut.

13. Inahoistingapparatus,the combination of a main frame, a screw carried thereby, a tube closed at its lower end to form an oil chamber, a nut within and secured to the tube and tapped to receive the screw, an oil passage through the nut, and an upwardly-opening valve applied to said opening.

14. Inahoistingapparatus, the combination of a main frame or support, a step sustained thereby, a hoisting screw connected by a universal joint with said step, a nut fitting said screw and serving to carry the load, and a guard tube placed outside the nut, and suspended from the main frame or support sub stantially as shown, whereby it is adapted to move laterally with the screw and nut.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ALTON J. SHAW. Witnesses:

L. N. KEATING, ALTHEA A. WHIPPLE.

IIO 

